In pakistan, middle class population is rising and it is getting reflected in various facets of life.

Consumerist culture is growing and new strong market is getting established.

Education levels are increasing and girls education is getting due priority.girls enrolment in schools, colleges and universities is higher than boys.

Urbanisation is on fast pace. Occupation shift is also happening on the rural front.

Political agenda is shifting to appease this category. Public goods and benefits targeted to middle class are increasing.

But, the expectation that the middle class is necessarily liberal no longer stands. Middle class is pro privatisation, pro capital and has many contradictions with in.

In the future, political and developmentalist agenda in Pakistan is determined by this middle class.

NOTA and The Indian voter

In India NOTA votes do not give a right to reject. It is been introduced for the people to show their disapproval towards contesting candidates. But, a clear ethnographic and statistical analysis of NOTA needs to be explored to understand its use.

Number of votes to NOTA did not exceed 2% in most of the cases. It mean that the perceived cynicism of voter against the political class seems exaggerated.

NOTA votes polled are high among the reserved constituencies. It shows continuing prejudice against the political reservation for SC/STs.

Constituencies affected by left wing extremism have recorded higher NOTA performance. Here it served as an instrument of protest against the state itself.

NOTA figures are comparatively higher in those constituencies where a direct contest exists between congress and BJP. It explains that people are looking for more political choices.

TheISchallenge

Islamic state is getting rooted in South Asia and it claimed responsibility for series of attacks in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In India, puritanical, one size fits all brand of Islam of ISIS did not find much resonance. It is majorly due to the syncretic nature of Islam in India. Recent incidents like Kerala youth entering in to ISIS is a dangerous signal for India.

ISIS Channel of propaganda is internet and online propaganda is motivating individuals to take up lone wolf attacks. So, India shall be able to effectively monitor internet.

Higher levels of intelligence, counter terror operations, deradicalisation programmes are the need of the hour.

Seeing the light

India has lost its case on domestic content requirements for solar panels with USA at WTO. WTO found that DCR is violative of Nationality treatment provision of WTO agreement.

India also has filed series of cases against similar clauses in WTO against 7 states in USA.

The way forward for both the countries is to find a middle path.

NEWS

India, China seek common ground on Afghanistan

Indian foreign secretary Jai shankar and Chinese executive vice minister of foreign affairs Zhang Yesui are involved in talks to revisit strategic dialogue between the countries. They are also exploring a common ground on Afghanistan and discussed the possibility of joint development projects.

Strategic dialogue was divided in to five different sub groups.

Afghanistan

Nuclear issues

UN issues including 1267 committee

Bilateral issues. Consular and visa matters

People to people ties.

But a strong irritant still remains. China is conducting a global conference on Belt ad road initiative. India has expressed serious sovereignty concerns on the project.